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Librarian To Leave Her Post

By Patte Ardizzoni

Hampton Union, Tuesday, December 27, 2005

[The following article is courtesy of the Hampton Union and Seacoast Online]

HAMPTON -- Lane Memorial Library’s Children Room librarian, Cynthia 'Cyn’ Stosse, summed up her five years on the job this way: "I just work, nothing out of the ordinary, just do my job."

Stosse is leaving the Lane Memorial Library to become director of the Pembroke Town Library.

All are invited to attend a farewell reception for her on Friday, Dec. 30, from 1 to 3 p.m. at the library.

Stosse’s contributions since she was hired in 2000 certainly appear to be more than "nothing out of the ordinary."

Stosse takes ideas that makes sense to the kids and then expands on them while adding her own twist.

"I guess the main thing is the puppet collection," she said. "I like to give children avenues for imagination without direction."

There is the Birthday Book program she brought with her from a former position and the "quilt thing" with fourth-graders at Sacred Heart School which added a new dimension to their history, art, reading and math curriculum.

She has worked with the Centre School students, especially first-graders, either in the school or at the library.

"I have also traveled to most of the preschool programs in town and had them visit the library," she said. "If children cannot get to me, I will try to get to them."

She said she’s certain the next person will build on what she’s leaving behind.

"I don’t know if anything took on a life of its own," she said. "Sometimes small ideas blossomed into something big and beautiful. Sometimes something small made the difference with one child. One of the biggest compliments that I receive is when a child goes home to play library and copies my style of story times."

Stosse reflected on where she’s been, how she chose to become a part of children’s lives and her thoughts on the team at the library.

"My main purpose for being a children’s librarian has always been to keep it fresh, exciting and celebratory," she said. "Having had a horrible experience as a child at a library, I have wanted to make the library a special place for all of the children that I’ve come to know. For children, the library needs to be a welcoming place, a safe place and a place to find comfort. That is really all I ever hope to accomplish in any library. This has been achieved at the Lane Memorial Library, not by me alone, but by everyone working here and touching the lives of the children."